Laundry-distributing system.



p. H. PARCE.

LAUNDRY DISTRIBUTKNG SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 24. 1914.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

3 I v IN VEN TOR.

fiofla/dfi. Force Jja MU/4W A TTORNEYS.

. U WITNESS i s W "b1 I (27 D. H. PARCE.

LAUNDRY DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, I914.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES I/m M E I I INVENTOR. (I 0027010 HParce A TTORNE YS.

- cmpt icd.

DONALD H. PARCE, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

LAU N DRY-DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. i, 1917.

Application filed June 24, 1914. Serial No. 847,015.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD H. PARGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at 5662 Ocean View )rive, Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Laundry-Distributing Systerns, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to improvements in laundry distributing systems and has special reierenceto a method of separating the laiiinlricd articles so that those of the same lot are placed in the same receptacle and each lot in a separate receptacle.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means to eliminate the marking of each article, and the hand sorting there of. At the present time articles of this class known as rough dry are either marked with ink and then the articles sorted into bins or a numbered pin is attached to each article which remains on the same during the washing operations and is removed as the article is sorted and stacked in the correspondingly munbered. bin. These bins are arranged in vertical rows and it will be readily appreciated that in order to keep themat a reasonable height the length is so great that considerable time is lost in walking from one bin to another and in removing articles from such bins.

With my improved device a pin bearing designating number is attached to each "cle of a lot and after the washing and dining operations. this pin is placed on a moving conveyor and the pin and attached article dropped into a c rrespondingly numbered bin. I prefer to construct these bins at a sutlicient distance from the floor to enabl a person to walk underneath and a door to be placed in the. bottom of each bin through which the articles may be quickly Figure l is a view in perspective of my improved sorting conveyer showing the same arranged above the bins into wh ch the articles are dropped and the table from which the garments are placed in the con veyers.

F ig. 2 is a fragmentary view taken above one of the row of bins showing the manner in. will-h the conveyor track is constructed tocause" the pins to drop into the corresponding bin.

Fig. 3 is a modified form of a conveyor track used in order to insure the dropping of the pins about central with the bin.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in section through the conveyor showing the pin being conveyed along the track thereof and a fragment of garment attached thereto.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the cable attachment by which the pins are moved along the conveyer.

Fig. 6 is a. view in end elevation of the cam by which the feed mechanism is operated.

Fig. 7 is a view in plan of the feed end of one of the conveyors.

Fig. 8 is a view in end elevation of one conveyer and its feed.

Fig. 9 is a vie v in side elevation further illustrating the same mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a view in end elevation of the feed track.

F ig. 11 is a detail view of the pin which is attached to the garments before the laundrying operations are commenced.

Fig. 12 is a view of a modified form of the same.

ig- 13 is a plan view, partly in section,

o1 the feed mechanism.

Referring to corresponding parts in the several views by the same numerals ofreference, 1 denotes in general my improved conveyers which, as in'Fig. 1, are shown suspended above the opened top receptacles or bins 2, and in large installations it is generally necessary to provide several rows of these receptacles with a. conveyor located centrally over the top of each. A table or other receptacle on which the unsorted garments are placed within convenient reach of the operator is denoted by t and this table may be located on a platform 5 made some'distance above the floor of the laundry building. The conveyors 1 are made to converge toward this table as shown at 3, so that the operator may reach any one without moving from-a fixed position. Thereceptacles 2 are preferably constructed of alight steel frame covered with wire netting. A walk 6 is provided along the sides spaced bars of of the group of receptacles, which is connected with the platform 5, enabling the operator by means of a pole to reach over the receptacles in order to withdraw a garment which has fallen on a division wall between two receptacles.

The conveyers consist of longitudinally standard structural shapes. as'here shown. bottom angles 7 and upper angles 8, these angles being connected by means of verticallv disposed bars 9 riveted to the side flanges of the upper and lower angles. The bars 9 on the two sides of the conveyor are spaced directly opposite one another and are connected by means of a threaded pin 10 having nuts 11 on the inside and outside of each bar. thus enabling the width between the angles to be accurately spaced. At suitable intervals con .tain of these vertical bars are extended upwardly as shown at 12 and by these extend ed bars the convever is supported to the ceiling or other suitable structure. 1

The pin which is attached to the garments consists of theusual form of safety pin, which I denote by 13 and to the'coiled end thereof is attached a member 1% consisting of a disk '15 and contracted neck. 16 having projecting lugs 17 and 18. which are bent over the pin to hold the member to the. pin, lug 18 being bent loosely around the coiled end oi the pin to allow move ment of the latter when the pin .opened or closed. ()n the sides of this neck are laterally projecting lugs 16, the use -of which is hereinafter explained.

The disks 15 are of varying diameters. each diameter being given a separate number, as shown at 19. Also a second designation 19 is placed on these disks, which designates the conveyor track on which that particular disk is to be handled, the numbers on the disk running consecutively from 1 upwardly and the bin being correspond ingly numbered. Thus the first conveyor may handle disks numbered 1 $1016 and the bins under this conveyor being correspond ingly numbered. The second conveyer would handle a set of disks having the same graduations in diameter, but having a dilferent designation 1.9" to indicate that this disk was to be placed on the second conveyer. The numbers on this disk would be 17 to 32 and the bin thereunder correspondingly numbered. If the disks 15 are of varying diameters and the longitudinal. lower bars '7 are divergingly spaced as shown in Figs. 2 or 3 and the disks movingz along the upper surface of this track are held by suitable means at a fixed angle to the upper surface and to the edges of this track. it will be evident that the smaller disks will drop into the first receptacle 2, the next size will drop into the next receptacle and so on until the end of the conve ver is reached. The disks may be made circular as shown in Fig. 12, or with anguar sides as shown in Fig. 11.

With a trackwaj of this type the angles being uniformly divergent, a slight variation in the width of the. slot orthe (llllll-- eter of the disk would cause the latter to drop through at soine'point other than the center of the bin and to obviate this difficultv the track may be made with a slot the between with a series of steps, as shown in Fig. 3. in one or both angles.

At the ends of the conveyor are pivotally mounted grooved wheels 20 and 20, the latter designating the driving wheel and the former wheel adjacent the feed end. I prefer to use a cable 21 in order that the conveyer may turn in a horizontal as well as a vertical direction but a belt or chain may be used. The type of attachment which I use to move the disks along the slot ed to fit around the cable. the end of said portion bein, continued in the triangular depending ends2et,.the edges having Wings 25 bent at right angles to said triangular ends and having the lower ends of lesser width as shown at 26. These halves are held on the cable by rivets or screws 27, the wings being so formed that a space 28 is secured between the wings of the adiacent halves. J

The manner in which the pins are automatically fed into the space 28 is shown in detail in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive. Adjacent wheel E20, is a revoluble bar 30 having the singularly projectin ends 31 diametrically disposed and adapted to project in the. path of the attachment 29. This bar is formed gear meshes with the correspondingtoothcd gear 35 having one half the pitch diameter so as to make one revolution to a half revolution of bar 30. Gear 35 is mounted on shaft 36 on the opposite end of which is a cam 37. This cam contacts with the lever arm 38 attached to the vertical shaft 39, said shaft extended through a suitable bearing 40 and underneath the lower angle 7 has attached a second lever bar 41. The disks with the pins are placed in the inclined trackway 2, which is pivotally mounted as shown at 3 and spring 44 being adapted to hold the same normally in its left hand position. This trackway consists of the groove 45 slightly wider than the disks are thicldso that the same cannot overlap in feeding downthe trackway. The enlarged portion. 40 is provided for the projecting lugsltl which prevent the disk from chopping vtrackway. 'T he ends of the inclined trackway are extended under" the conveyer, the one side to be terminated as shown at 42. To prevent the pins feeding while one is be ing fed into the conveyer by arm l1. a spring actuated stop pin 51is provided which pro jects across the path of slot when the member 42 is in its ri ht hand mention.

This pin is pushed outwardly by a spring 51 so that in case the endthereof con-.

tacts with a. disk when the track is moving to the right the p n can move and prevent undue strain. Spring 51 abuts against 9 and a pin 51", a head 51 limits the action of thissprin".

Pivot/ally mounted on the end 42 is a latch bar the upperend of which is extended into the path of the clip 29 by means or a spring (it. 'Ehe lower end of this latch bar is adapted o contact with the raised lip 54 on the end of bar il.

-The as. and operation of this device is as follows The pins iii are attached to the z rticles to be launciried when the same are received. each lot of the apparel bearing a separate number. 'ihese pins remain on the articles during the laundrying operation when the various lots become ITllXQti together. In this condition the articles are placed on the sorting table, the operator picking up each garment separately by the designating pin placing the latter in the proper feed track 42. this track being indicated by the designation 19-. It will. be understood that the reason for having the latter designation on the enlar ed head of the pin 15: that the number or sizes of the heads may be kept to av minimum and the variations between sizes at a maximum, which does not necessitate such accurate adjustment of the track slot. When the pins are placed on the inclined trackway the head portion enters slot 45 with the lateral extending lugs 16 resting on a bottom of the groove 46 and so prevent the pin from dropping through the open slot in the bottom. These pins with their attached. articles slide by gravity down this t 'ack, the lowermost pin contacting with the stop 50.

Nougat the cable 21 rotates one of the attachments .29 c'ontacts with the upper end 31 of bar 30 and rotates the same to the position shownin Fig. 9. This rotation caused BEST AVAILABLE Q .the following one. as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 8. 'hen the track reaches the limit of its travel to the right the arm 38 is released' by the projecting end of the cam allowing the sznne to be pulled in to the lower portion by means of the spring 38. The movement of arm 38 is transmitted through the shaft 39 to the arm -l1 which extends across the patl: oi the shank 16 of pin cx tension. and the latter is thus forcibly moved into the slot the attachment 2?) with which '31 and 50 are engaged. Then ll has moved to approximately its limit the projected lug 54 engages the. bottom of spring catch 50 throwing the upper end thereof out of engagement with the attachment 29, thus releasing this end of the inclined trackway allowingthe spring H to return thesame to its left position. When in the latter position the following pin head is free to slide downwardly pastthe projecting end of pin iil past the end of the lever arm 41. and is positioned by the stop 50. In the meantime the arm 30 is rotated a suliicient amount to enable its end 31 to clear the attachment. The disk like portion of the pin attachment is then moved along the trackway formed by the lower angles 7, being held in a fixed position until the slot has widened a suflicient amount to allow the same to drop through. Asall'pins bearing the same. designation 19 and 19 drop through the conl. Sorting apparatus, comprising identitying means attachable to the articles to be sorted, conveying means for moving said articles. and means for releasing said identifyinghneans from said conveying means at predetermined points.

. 2. In an apparatus for distributing articles, a trackway, and means for segregating and identifying said articles, said means hein attachable to said articles and movable along said traclcwayn" 28 between thc'two parts of and slidable in said slot, said slot arranged to release said identifying means at predetermined points, and receptacles to catch said released means and articles.

6. In a laundry sorting machine, a track. identifying means attachable to pieces of laundry slidable on said track, and means for propelling said identifying means along said track, said track being arranged to drop said identifying means at predetermined points.

7. In a laundry sortingapparatus, atrackway, identifving means attachable to individual pieces of laundry slidable on said trackway, means for propelling said identifying means along said trackway. and means in said trackway for releasing said identifying means from the trackway.

8. A device for the purpose described comprising. a cable conveyor, trackways below said cable, said trackways being spaced apart to form a diverging slot centrally below said cable, attachments on said cable adapted to hold a disk perpendicular to said trackways, a disk, :1 reduced neck portion on said disk. and a spring closed pin attached to said reduced portion.

9. A device for the purpose described comprising, a conveyer, trackways adjacent said cable, said trackway being spaced apart to form a divergent slot, attachments on said cable adapted to'hold a disk at afixed angle to said trackways, metallic disks of varying diameter, a reduced neck portion extending from said disk adapted to extend through the divergent slot, a spring pin attached to the end of said reduced neck portion and lateral lugs formedon said neck portion.

10. A device for the purpose described comprising a conveyor, divergent trackways adjacent said conveyor, disks of varying diameter adapted to be moved along said trackways, and clips carried by said conveyer for moving said disks.

11. In a laundry sorting machine a trackway having a diverging slot, identifying means attachable to pieces of laundry and slidable in said slot, and means for causing said identifying means to more along the trackway.

12. An article for the purpose described comprising a disk, means for securing an BEST AVAILABLE coP.

article to the disk, said disk provided with one or more identifying marks, an extension on said disk, means carried by said extension for attaching the same to said securing means, and laterally extending supporting lips or: said extension.

13. In a laundry sorting machine a trackway having a slot of varying width, identi fying means of corresponding various widths attachable to pieces of laundry slidable in said slot, and means for moving said identifying means along said trackway.

14. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with trackways forming a diverging stepped slot, disks having varying diameter and adapted to be moved along said trackways, and clips movable )arallel to the said trackways adapted to hold said disks at a. constant angle to said trackways.

15. A device for the urpose described comprising, metallic trac ways, said trackways being spaced apart to form a diverging slot parallel to said cable, adjusting bolts for maintaining correct diver ence, disks of varying diameter adapted to attached to ti 2 article to be sorted, and means for moving said disks along said trackways.

1(3. A'device' for sorting articles comprising, in combination with bins to receive the sorted articles, trackways forming a diverging slot, disks of varying diameters attached to the articles to be. sorted, and means for moving said disks along said trackways.

17. In an apparatus for distributing arti cles, a trackway and means for carrying, segregating and identifying said articles, slidable on said trackway.

18. In a sorting machine. a trackway, and article carrving and identifying means slidable on saic trru'kway, said trackway adapted to drop said carrying and identifying means at predetermined points.

19. The combination with a moving conveyer and attaclnnents therefor, of a feed track, said track being oscillatably mounted about a point removed from said conveyor, a spring catch adapted to engage the attachments of said convcyer to move said track in the direction of travel of said conveyer, and spring means for returning said track to its normal position.

20. The combination with a moving conveyer and attachment thereon, of a. member adapted to be moved along said conveyer by said attachment, means for positioning said members for feeding into said conveyor, a rcvoluble bar the ends of which are adapted to engage said attaclnnents. a cam driven by said revoluble bar, and a lever arm operated by said cam to move said membersinto engagement with said attachments.

21. The combination with a moving conveyer and attachments thereon, of an inclined pivotally mounted feed track, securing means adapted to slide down said track, means for movlng the end of said track adjacent said conveyer in. the'same direction and at the same speed when said track is opposite one of said attachments, a stop bar adapted to position said securing means bedistance to allow said securing means to clear said step, and a spring pressed stop pin adaptedto prevent feeding of the following securing means while said first mentioned securing means is being transferred to saidattachment.

22. The combination with a conveyer and attachments therefor, of securing means adapted to be moved along said conveyer by said attachments,.an oscillatable inclined feed track, means carried by said feed track for engaging said attachments and moving said track in unison with said attachment during the. feeding opera tion, means carried by the feed bar for releasing said attachment engaging means when said securing means has been fed, and spring means for returning said jinclined. 'track itoi its normal position.

A device -of the character, described comprising the combination of a conveyery diverging trackway's adjacent conveyer, attachments on the fiexibleband ofsaid con veyer, disks adapted 'to be'moved along said trackway by i said attachments, an inclined feed track for said disks and means operated by said attachments for transferring said disks from said feed track to said diverging trackway.

24. A device as described comprising a cable conveyerpa trackway spaced adjacent said convey r, the edge of said trackwaybeing steppe; to form a "diverging slot and identifying andcarrying means attachable to the articles tobe sorted slidable in said slot. i

In a'sorting machine a trackway article segregating and identifying means movable on said trackway and means for propelling said means along said trackway, said trackway arranged to'release and drop said means at predetermined points.

2 6. In a sorting machine a trackway, article carrying and identifying means movable on said. trackway and means for propelling said carrying and identifying means along said trackway, said trackway being formed to drop said carrying and identifying means at predetermined points.

2'7. In a sorting machine, a trackwayhaving a slot of varying width, article carrying and identifying means of corresponding va-. rious wldths shdable in said slot, and means 6.5 for propelling said carrying and identifying means along said slot whereby they are released from the slot when theyreach a portion of corresponding width.

28. In asorting machine a trackway, carrying segregating and identifying means slidable or said trackway, means for moving said carrying means along the trackw'ay, means for feeding said carrying means to said trackway and means for operating said feed means.

29. In a sorting machine, a structure having a slot of three or more ditferentwvidths,

carrying and identifying means of corresponding different widths slidable in said slot, mechanism for inserting said carrying and identifying means in said slot and means for sliding said carrying and identifying means along said slot.

30. In a sorting machine, a structure having a slot of three or more different widths,

rying and identifying-means of corresponding different Widths slidable in said slot, 'aconveyer for sliding said carrying and identifying means along said slot, and meansoperated by the movement of said conveyer for introducing saidcarrying and identifying means into said sio't.

31. In\ a sorting machine a main tracln way, article carrying and identifying means slidable 'on-said trackway, means for pro pelling said carrying and identifying means along the trackway a feed trackway adjacent the main trackway for holding said carrying and identifying means, and automati 'callyoperated mechanism for transferring the carrying, and identifying means from said feed trackway to said main trackway.

82. Ina sorting apparatus. a trackway having a slot of progressively increasing width, identifying means attachable to the articles to be sorted and slidable in said slot, means for propelling said identifying means along said trackvay. meansfor releasing said identifying means from the slot at predetermined' points and means adjacent said points for receiving said released'identify- I mg means. t

33. In a sorting machine, a structure hav-' ing a slot of varying widtln article supporting-and identifying means of corresponding widths movable in said slot, a feed structure for holding said supporting and identifying means. and automatically operated mechanism for transferring the supporting and identifying means from the feed structure to the slot, and means for conveying said supporting and identifying means along the slot.

34. In a sorting machinea trackway, segregating and identifying means movable on i the trackway, mechanism for moving said means al mg the 'trackway,automatically operatedmeans for introducing said first named means to said trackway, and automatically operated means for releasing said firstnamed means from said tracin'vay at predetermined points.

i In a sorting mach ne, a trackway, identifying means slidable on said trackway, an endless conveyer arranged ad acent san trackway having means thereon tor engaging said identifying means and means for driving said conveyer.

56. In a sorting machine a trackway, segregating and identifying means movable on said trackway, an endless conve yer arranged adjacent said trackway having means thereon adapted to engage and more the segregating and identifying means along the trackway and means for driving said conveyer, said trackway being arranged to release said segregating and identifying means at. 'redetermined points.

In a sorting machine, a structure having'a slot of progressively increasing width, carrying and identifying means slidable in said slot, a conveyer adjacent said trackway, means for driving the conveyer, and means on said conveyer for propelling said carrying and identifying means along the slot whereby tney are released from said structur at predetermined points. a

38. In a sorting machine, a main trackway carrying and identifying means movable on said traekway, a moving belt arranged adjacent said Xiifliil traclrway, means on said belt adapted to engage said carry ng and ldentitylng n'ieans, a feed tracluvay adjacent the main trackn'ay adapted to hold said carrying and identifying means and automatically operatedmeans for transfer ring the carrying and identifying means from the feed to the main trackway.

2:59. In a sorting machine a tracku'ay, carrying and identifying: means slidahie on said trackwav a moviin cohi'e er arran ed ing a slot, carrying and identifying meansv movable in said slot, an endless conveyer adjacent said structure, means on said conveycr adapted to engage said carrying and identifying means and means for driving said conveyer. V

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature; in presence of two witnesses.

DONALD H. PAROE. Witnesses W. A. STOCK, R. M. OYARZO. 

